2009-04-03 - Edge Magazine Interview
Dead by April 'was interviewed during the recording of the ''Losing You video by '''Edge Magazine and it was published on April 03, 2009. Entire Dead by April was present for the interview but only Johan and Pontus are represented in spoken words. Topics they covered were among others the upcoming album, Pontus lyrics, Gothenburg metal and Dead by April's recent fame. The article is written by Leon Grimaldi. Script ::: The interview was done in Swedish and is therefore translated into English. : DBA as they're also called in colloquial slang was something completely new for me before I heard their debut single Losing You. Then it dawned on me that it was the same song that spun during the Robinson jingle. The 10-second clip had given interest to the song. What I didn't know was that I had received the song at an earlier time by DBA's record label. Shame on me that I don't take the time to listen to what I get. But as everyone knows time is short and a quite meaninglessly file on your computer seldom drags any attention, at least not by me. But now they did it. Fucking great, a bit like Linkin Park which I was big fan of when they released their debut. Out on Google - "Dead By April" huh! "They're Swedish?" Red by surprise I threw away an email. I don't know if it was luck or good service but minutes later I received an email from both the label and the band. : Dead By April are from Gothenburg and are a fairly young band. By young I mean the fact that they've only been together for just over a year and they've already come a long way. It's only Johan who is from Lund, the rest from Gothenburg, so I would say that they are a Gothenburg band. The set is as usual; 5 tattooed guys but no long-haired ruffians. These guys mix punk with rock style which is very much skate (talking about the look). Emo is in rock context not a fun label but according to themselves they are pretty popular at forums online that has focal points for that type of rockers. Personally I can not understand why it's going so great for metal bands from the fish town from the west. I can in less than 15 seconds certainly rattle off 10 great bands that holds quality in Gothenburg. Dead by April is no exception and it was obvious in their video production that they are an expensive history. It was during this recording which I did participate as a photographer and why not make two birds with one stone. An interview was clearly granted. Johan was the band's mouthpiece and also the one who answered the questions. Q: Dead by April...? Johan Olsson: Well, you have to be called something. But of course the name is no coincidence, but it explains our music. We combine melodies with pure anger. April is the month when everything is born and the time for joy and light. Dead I don't think I need to explain. Q: You've been playing for a year and it has already begun to flourish in the flower beds, can you explain it? Johan Olsson: We're all from different bands in the past. We almost got a publishing deal right away. We got some deals hear and there but nothing that seemed interesting. Believe me when I say that the network helped us a lot in marketing because we reached out quickly. At last we ended up anyway at Universal which feels very good. Q: Is it important for you to be on a major label or a company at all? Johan Olsson: Both yes and no. It's good to be on a company that is a little bigger. They have a good distribution network and muscles to express us. But we have certainly not been desperate in chasing companies. Q''': '''In what way has your life changed? Johan Olsson: It has rolled on like hell you could say. More and more enjoyable gigs and our fan base is constantly growing. Hardly so you can get it yourself. Can't say anything except the fact that we're having a hell of a time. Q: So what are your ways to advertise the band? Johan Olsson: Obviously we have Facebook to work on but MySpace have been more of our forum to reach out. Q: Will there be any gigs this summer? Johan Olsson: Of course. Q: Maybe you can say where to see you? Johan Olsson: Closest is a metal festival where we among others plays together with Mustach and Strebers, blah. Gothenburg, Stockholm, Malmö, Vasteras blah. Then it's a lot of talk about different festivals but unfortunately I can not reveal anything. Metaltown is officially announced. Q: You have a single out, but how is the record going? Johan Olsson: It should be ready on Wednesday. Q''': '''How many songs? Johan Olsson: It should be 13 songs. Q''': '''What's the name of the album? Johan Olsson: It's not decided. Q''': '''Your lyrics feels slightly diffuse, are they important to you? Pontus Hjelm: Oh yeah, they are absolutely important, just as the melodies. Q: So what are the lyrics about on the new album? Pontus Hjelm: It is private, I don't want to comment that. Although I can say that your experience is differently so it's sort of pointless. Q: Isn't it hard to keep a secret about a lyric when you actually sings about it? Pontus Hjelm: That said, what you experience is perhaps not what I want to convey. Q: So what do you want to convey? Pontus Hjelm: Things that happens around me and others. Very private. Q: Do you play song ideas together with the band or do you write both lyrics and melodies Pontus? Pontus Hjelm: I probably do everything musically, usually the melodies first and then I then I write lyrics. Q: Why is the rock scene so established in Gothenburg? Johan Olsson: I think it's because one in three people can play guitar. Q: Then one would not have time to go fishing, so that I do not believe? Johan Olsson: But the thing is that the town is not very big and they're influenced by each other. If you like a band so does often someone close to you know someone in the band, so you gathers over the same interests and so is a new band born. Q: But I think in recent times Gothenburg is creating terribly good rock, very un-Swedish. Johan Olsson: There is probably all genres but certainly there is a lot up in town. Q: I have heard that Nomy was asked to sing in your band a long time ago, is that right? Johan Olsson: Our band has not had a definite form until maybe 10 months ago. There was talk about different singers but nothing was ever sure. Our singer has been involved since the start and he is cruel. Q: Can you explain your music? Johan Olsson: I think Dead by April explains it all. Photos Leon Grimaldi also took some great photos during the video shoot. 8.jpg 9.jpg dba 28.jpg 10.jpg http://www.edgemagazine.se/dead-by-april/ Sources